Viral Community Structure and Potential Functions in the Dried-Out Aral Sea Basin Change along a Desiccation Gradient.

ABSTRACT: The dried-out Aral Sea basin represents an extreme environment due to a man-made ecological disaster. Studies conducted in this unique environment revealed high levels of pollution and a specifically adapted microbiota; however, viral populations remained entirely unexplored. By employing an in-depth analysis based on the sequencing of metagenomic DNA recovered from rhizosphere samples of Suaeda acuminata (C. A. Mey.) Moq. along a desiccation gradient of 5, 10, and 40 years, we detected a diverse viral community comprising 674 viral populations (viral operational taxonomic units [vOTUs]) dominated by Caudovirales. Targeted analyses highlighted that viral populations in this habitat are subjected to certain dynamics that are driven mainly by the gradient of desiccation, the correspon

SUBMITTER: Wicaksono WA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9948696 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature